Tuesday, April 18, 2023

NM State Aggies vs SFA Lumberjacks Baseball 4-15-23

The Big Man Saturday night: Keith Jones II

 

I was making sacrifices to attend tonight’s game.  The El Paso Chihuahuas were playing on national TV tonight on Stadium.  Fernando Tatis Jr. was in the lineup.  He’d only gone 5 for 6 with 8 RBI’s and 3 home runs on Thursday.  Tim Hagerty, voice of the Chihuahuas, had even written me today with a “thank you” for putting up a positive review of his new book, Tales from the Dugout.  (And it is great.)  Not to mention, I’d also forgot about today’s MLB.TV free game and missed it entirely.  I was pissed.

 

However, the Aggies did good Friday night against Stephen F. Austin, a team that was second in the WAC standings.  The Aggies beat SFA with a run rule win, 16-6.  The game ended suddenly in the eighth inning, when a misjudged fly ball was dropped and three unearned runs scored. 

 

I was still a little skeptical.  I did briefly try to talk Ron into watching the Chihuahuas instead when he picked me up, but it was a non-starter.  (Dad, at least, said he’d be watching the game at home.)  The good news is that last night’s big win activated the Raising Canes Challenge.  Ron had picked up a coupon for a two-for-one meal deal, which we deliciously cashed in on.   

 

It was a beauty of a night at the ballpark tonight.  There was a clear blue sky with a light breeze and a good crowd of over 800.  This some mostly due to a fraternity and a sorority showing up with their parents.  (I heard it was also mandatory for them.)  Adam Young on the radio call tonight came by.  He talked to a family behind us.  He said AD Mario Moccia wasn’t here last night.  Adam told him to stay away and not jinx the streak. 

 

Cal Villareal and Logan Galina were back in the lineup.  It’s been awhile.  The most notable addition to the team was an adorable little bat boy.  Dressed in an oversized jersey and a hat too big, the kid hustled and was alert and enthusiastic for the entire game.  I am not overstating this small child’s competence at his job.  He was a treat and delight to watch in action.    

 

About four times, I was sure my scorecards were going to get destroyed by a team batting around, but it never happened.  I also completely muffed the scoring the top of the second, but somehow recovered and corrected it in-game.  This game was a challenge to score at times. 

 

Pablo Cortes was tapped to start for the Aggies.  He worked into early trouble with 3 straight singles, which scored a run.  Pablo came back with some good stuff, including a knockout curve, to finish the inning with a pair of strikeouts.  1-0 SFA.  The frat section was vocal early in this one with their cheering.  Behind me, a girl was singing along to a Taylor Swift song on the PA.  Ugh.  Ron has been teasing me relentless lately about my former love interest.  She never even write a song about me. 

 

And here we go.  Bottom of the first, Kevin Jones II led off with a home run to left center.  The frat guys went off with a Tomahawk Chop cheer.  After a follow up single and a double, Nolan Funke cashed them in with a single.  A single came next, along with Nick Gore driving Funke in with another single.  Kevin Jimenez and Funke were both fired up as they crossed the plate in the inning. 

 

There was a mound visit by the coach after 5 straight hits.  The Frats sang to him while he was out there.  Lumberjack pitcher, Conner Woods, would get out of the inning with a double play and a fly out.  Remember that name.  It was a 9-batter inning.  5-1 Aggies.

 

A double began the top of the first.  KJII made a great leaping catch in right next, but there was nothing to be done about a home run shot after that.  After a walk and a single, there was a run-scoring single along with an errant throw for an error.  The bleeding stopped there, but now it was 5-4 Aggies. 

 

Between innings, the frat guys shouted out to a girl coming back from the Concessions.  They knew her by name.  The guys also went crazy for a hat toss to the crowd.  The Aggies got 2 on via a hit batter and Funke making an “excuse me” swing for a single, but no one scored. 

 

Two singles began the top of the third and Pablo came out.  None of these singles in the game looked hard hit.  I couldn’t believe how they were just finding the holes.  I got a phone call from my dad at this point to tell me that Tatis had hit a home run in El Paso.  (He would hit 2 in the game in a big win for the Chihuahuas.)  I wasn’t feeling entirely good about my entertainment choices this evening.

 

I was about to feel worse.  A run-scoring single, a walk, a run-scoring walk, a run-scoring sac fly, and another walk would chase Saul Soto and bring in Hayden Johns to get the final out of the inning.  7-5 SFA.  Ouch.

 

Amazingly, the next two frames would go 1-2-3.  In the bottom of the fourth, Logan led off with a home run to right center.  The ball bounced off the top of the wall, off a tree, and then back on to the field.  That was good to see from Logan given his recent injury.  KJII said, "Hey, let me try that, too,” and hit another homer to the same place.  After a single by Mitch Namie, KJ drove him in with a home run blast to right. 

 

Some of the fans behind us came back from the Concessions at this point.  “We missed everything!” they exclaimed.  Conner Woods was relieved at this point by Reid Boyett.  He allowed a pair of singles (again, more singles), but finished out the inning.  The Aggies again sent 9 batters to the plate.  The Aggies were back up 9-7.

 

Funke began the top of the fifth flashing some leather.  He went to his right at short and made a jump throw to nip the runner at first.  (Maybe?  We’ll take it.)  This was followed by a hit batter.  Lumberjack Alex Rogers took it personal and stole second, on a pitchout no less.  Johns got a fly out next, but after issuing a walk, he was relieved by Will Sierra.  A pitch hit the ground during the next at bat.  Rogers took off for third and made it, but Peyton Parker at first, unwisely tried to take second during the play and was picked off in a quick rundown. 

 

Logan led off the bottom of the fifth.  One of his foul balls arced back into the stands.  The ball landed with a clang on the aluminum walkway in front of a fan.  He brought the ball back to his seat.  A girl then shouted at him, “I’m your girlfriend!”  I guess she wanted the ball.  I don’t know.  Boyett struck out Logan.  The frat guys chanted, “We want Conner!”  KJII got an infield hit off the pitcher, but a double play ended the inning. 

 

Sierra struck out the first batter of the sixth on three pitches.  He also tagged out the next batter on an infield hit.  Will surrendered a walk next.  Christian Perez at third took a bouncer off the chest for an error.  With two on, Will struck out Sam Adams to end the inning.  What a cool name.  A lady behind me mentioned it, as well.  Boyett gave up a single and double in the bottom, but a third SFA double play of the game and a strikeout ended the frame.

 

KJII made a couple more good catches in right in the seventh.  Mitch made a great catch at first on a low liner to end the inning.  Skylar Jaco came in for Boyett in the bottom.  The frat guys serenaded him, “He’s not Conner!”  Jaco made a couple of wide pitches to walk the first batter to the chant of “Here comes Conner!”  There was another hit batter, but both runners were left stranded.

 

Unfortunately, the frat guys left in the top of the eighth.  I admit I was loving these guys.  Matt Maloney came on.  I’d heard an interview with him this week.  Matt’s a converted catcher and has a really impressive attitude.  Matt began the inning with a walk and a single.  After 2 balls to the next batter, Coach Zuniga came out for a talk.  Matt came back with 3 straight strikeouts.  Good talk. 

 

The Aggie dugout was loose.  They were dancing to a rap song on the PA, “It’s a party!”  But, they went down in order in the bottom of the eighth.  Matt began the top of the ninth with a looking strikeout.  Rogers hit a liner into the right field corner, but he initially thought it was foul and was held to a single. 

 

After another single, the coach came back out for a talk.  There was no one warming up in the bullpen.  This talk didn’t go as well.  Matt made a bad pickoff throw that scored a run and advanced the other runner to third, who was brought in on a sac fly.  After another single, Matt finished the inning with a strikeout.  We were tied at 9.

 

A group of little kids took up the cheering for the team.  How was this one going to end?  Regretfully or triumphantly?  Gore got it started in the bottom of the ninth with a walk.  I was little surprised that the catcher wasn’t taken out for a pinch runner.  (Perhaps Hunter Antillon wasn’t available to catch.)  Preston Godfrey came up next.  He made two bunt attempts, but thankfully Gore advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Okay, hit away Preston!  That he did.  He hammered one to left field that cleared the wall.  Walk it off!  Aggies win 11-9. 

 

In spite of 3 errors, the Aggies had some good defense.  SFA left 13 on base, so they had their chances.  Their pitching limited walks (3), but the Aggies avoided strikeouts early in the game.  When the Aggies put the ball in play, good things happened.  It was two iffy pitching staffs versus two good-hitting lineups.  It felt like this one could have gone either way. 

 

Lots of Gameballs to hand out.  For the Lumberjacks, Peyton Parker went 2 for 3 with 4 RBI’s that came in via 2 singles and 2 sacrifices.  Also, reliever Reid Boyett pitched 3 scoreless innings for the Jacks and kept them in it.  For the Aggies, relievers Hayden Johns and Will Sierra combined to lock down the lead for over 4 innings.  (Honorable mention to Matt Maloney.  His 2 runs were unearned, though it was his throwing error that made them unearned.  Out of the 6 outs he got, 5 were strikeouts.)  Keith Jones II went 3 for 5 with 2 home runs, along with some great defense in right field.  Finally, you know Preston Godfrey gets one for his game-winning 2-run homer.     

 

I felt good about my decision to go to tonight’s game finally.  It came in at just under 3 hours and had been exciting.  While waiting for Ron in the bathroom, the despondent Lumberjacks filed out through the front gate.  I tried saying “Good game,” as some passed by, but they mostly had a thousand-yard stare going.  One of the guys was friendly, but I missed his number.  I felt kind of bad for them.  Anyway, I guess I’ll return for the finale and possible sweep on Sunday. 

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